Marcos burial has been postponed...again

(SPOT.ph) On Tuesday, October 18, the Supreme Court gave another extension for the status quo ante order on the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. It was confirmed by the high court's Information Chief Theodore Te at a press conference that the extension goes up to November 8.

The court initially announced on August 23 a 20-day status quo ante (SQA) order, only to extend it until October 18. "The status quo ante brings us back to the prevailing situation before the certain event. The event we are talking about is the order issued by the Department of National Defense," Te explained in August. This effectively stopped the preparations at the Libingan ng mga Bayani and even the scheduled burial of the dictator on September 18—Marcos's 99th birth anniversary.

A vote of 8 will mean Marcos shall not be recognized a hero. Less than 8, or even a 7-7 tie will mean it is a go. #PrayForEight

Fourteen out of 15 justices are expected to decide on the issue based on the oral arguments presented at the tribunal. Associate Justice Bienvenido Reyes is prohibited from taking part in the process because of his "close relations" to a party in the case. Martial Law victims and Filipinos who protested against President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to give the late dictator military honors are hoping for an eight-person vote, thus the hashtag #PrayForEight.